Original owner story

Discussion in 'The Bench' started by Mike Trom, Jan 14, 2022.

  1. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    Inspired by Jason's GSX time travel back to the original owner family I decided to see what I could find out about the original owner of my 68 GS. I am fortunate enough to have the original sales paperwork. A quick google search came up with the original owner, unfortunately he passed away back in 2019 at the age of 90.
    At the time of the GS purchase Mr. McLarney was 41 years old.

    He ordered my GS on 3/16/68 and took delivery on 4/26/68 so it was not a dealer lot car (cowl tag is 04C). He paid $4144 cash and did not have a trade in. The price was $3900 plus tax and fee. He did not want the dealer emblem added since there is "NO EMBLEM" written across the order.

    Unfortunately, it appears that he never married, and his closest surviving relatives would be nieces and nephews who may or may not have known him that well and would most likely remember nothing about his GS. I do know that he sold the GS to a family friends son back in 1978 and that is the person I purchased it from in 1999. The second owner told me he remembered riding in the back seat as a kid.

    Reading the obituary of the original owner, he sounded like a good guy.
    https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/citizensvoice/name/edward-mclarney-obituary?id=2005568

    I also googled the 2nd owner whom I purchased my GS from and sadly he passed away in 2017 at the age of 56.

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    Last edited: Jan 15, 2022
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  2. Michael_G

    Michael_G Living the Dream... Fast with Class...

    You and Jason ( @buick6423 ) may have started something... I also have the original paperwork/registration/receipts/etc. Purchased for $3,106.80. At some point I may have to do a little research. In reality, I have 4 large manila envelopes I hope to put into a scrap-type book one day.
    -MIG
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  3. rolliew

    rolliew Well-Known Member

    Thank you for sharing. a reminder that we are only Renting all of our stuff.
     
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  4. Fred Hickey

    Fred Hickey Founders Club Member

    Great story, $4144 cash? I'm guessing that's more than 6 months salary for a tin knocker in'68.
     
  5. Mart

    Mart Gold level member

    I looked up the original owner of my GS and records show he is 79 years old, and still living in the same Warren, MI home I picked it up at in Dec of 1976.
    I'll have to drop by this spring and surprise him...
     

    Attached Files:

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  6. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    My ‘68 was bought from inventory by a Dr. Clement S. Dwyer in Bangor, Maine. He was a doctor of anesthesiology at the Northern Maine hospital. He died in ‘73. I havent tried to reach any of his family.
    Patrick
     
  7. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    Who names thier kid Clement? :rolleyes::D:D
     
  8. 2manybuicks

    2manybuicks Founders Club Member

    Patient guy:D
     
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  9. richopp

    richopp Well-Known Member

    I have the paperwork on all 3 GS cars I bought new back in the day--'70, '71, '72. I remember sending copies of them to Richard Lassiter when I joined the club way back when. Still have them somewhere...moved and not sure where right now.

    Cheers!
     
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  10. Thumper (aka greatscat)

    Thumper (aka greatscat) Well-Known Member

    M y 69 GS 400 4 speed was purchased new by a college student in Jan.1969. The title shows it was $3165 out the door. I'm told he previously had a a 66 GS 4 speed he purchased used and I'm told he street raced it a lot. Since he was getting beat by his buddy who just got a 68 GS400 4 speed he wanted something that could kick his ass. I located his friend, Rich, who is still around and he said the owner researched and saw stage2 parts were available over the counter at the Buick dealership and he ordered them. By April 69 the parts came and he installed them himself since a dealer install was out of budget. The dealer invoice for the stage2 parts came with the car when I got it. Rich said after the parts were installed he was forced to build his 400 motor to keep up cause he was losing. After his build both Buicks were about the fastest cars on the cruise scene. Rich lost track of the owner for a while since they both went into the service, he sold the 68 but the 69 owner kept his however driven very sparingly, except for forays down the quarter mile, currently has only 18k miles on it. Still all original paint and interior and stage2 parts are still in the motor. According to rumors I've heard the original owner is still quite active with Buicks and is in Ohio somewhere. I would like to find him someday so if anyone knows his whereabouts please let me know. He should be 74 by now.
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2022
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  11. Deogi2

    Deogi2 GSX - #380

    The original owner for my X is still alive and after looking at the cool pictures Jason posted I reached out to ask if he had any family pictures from back in the day w the car. Hope he has some. This was in some paperwork he gave me. Kind of cool to trade a 67 GS for a 70 GSX.

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  12. Brad Conley

    Brad Conley RIP Staff Member

    Gary, if you really want to find him, just look in the mirror...:D;)
     
  13. Thumper (aka greatscat)

    Thumper (aka greatscat) Well-Known Member

    lol, I heard his wife knows where he is. Probably in the barn working on a car or motor.
     
  14. 70skylark350

    70skylark350 Jesus loves you unconditionally

    My grandfather bought my 70 as a Christmas present for grandma December 1969.
     
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  15. russ455

    russ455 No longer a bubbletop

    Not a good idea. How did Gramps top that the next year?
     
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  16. gstewart

    gstewart Well-Known Member

    My '72 GS was purchased originally by a fellow in Calgary AB. He paid close to $5000 cdn. I have his name but cannot locate.
    In Canada, we had a 12% tariff (tax) on all major items, especially cars. Now we have a 13% general tax on nearly all items.
    In 1970, I purchased a new Chevelle Malibu for $4206 less trade in (1965 Chevy II SS - 6 cyl & power glide - $900). Same car in U.S. was probably $3200.
    Go figure when I see the prices u have.
     
  17. gsxnut

    gsxnut Well-Known Member

    My folks are the original owner's of our 1970 Buick GSX. My dad has very clear memories of how he came about the car. In October of 1970 my folks were living in a small town in Nebraska. They owned a 1967 Buick Riviera GS. My father was in Lincoln NE and happened to drive through the parking lot of the Buick dealership on his way home. He saw the Apollo White GSX on the lot. He said he has no recollection of seeing these cars in Magazine adds even though he is an avid car magazine reader having a subscription to Hot Rod back to the 50s. He saw the car and immediately fell in love with it. He attempted to make a deal with the dealership in Lincoln to trade his Riviera but they could not come to terms. After rushing home still wanting the car he went to his local dealer in Columbus NE and asked them if the could work a better deal by trading with the dealer in Lincoln so he could negotiate with them directly. They called the dealer in Lincoln and were able to make a trade for a four door skylark to get the car to Columbus where he bought it and traded in the 67 Riviera. The car was driven for the first 10 years as the family car. I still have clear memories of riding in the car when I was probably 7 or 8 years old as we took it on vacations, the races and everywhere in between. After 10 years or so of constant duty (100K miles) the car was essentially parked only coming out on rare occasions. If you saw it at the GSX Reunion or GSX 50th Anniversary it is almost completely original with original interior, paint etc. The only items that have been changed are one that have been required to be changed to keep the car road worthy and one other minor change to put the front spoiler back on the car. Early in its life he indicated he hit a gravel pile on a gravel road that bent the spoiler so he removed it. He also added gages for water temp, oil pressure and trans temp as was common in the day with only indicator gages on the car.

    More amazing to me is the paperwork being dated one day before I was born. The car has always been there and now resides in my garage although I think of it as the family car and not mine. Having a car such as that and an influence such as my father has ignited my interest in cars and is one of the reasons I curate the GSX Registry and have such an affinity to these specific cars.
     

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    Last edited: Jan 20, 2022
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  18. BadBrad

    BadBrad Got 4-speed?

    I too have communicated with my original buyer/orderer (I was fortunate to find one piece of paper with contact info). He and his wife have since passed away many years ago now but I've also communicated with their daughter about five years ago, who's about my age. She was very sweet and grateful that I reached out to her. She gave me much insight into her dad and why he ordered and bought this particular car - the fact that she is an only child and not very big was a benefit to the car - the entire rear seat area is original and in great shape (wouldn't have happened if they'd had three boys like my family). She learned how to drive a manual transmission in the car and is an enthusiast to this day - her dad "could tell when [she}] was driving it too fast." She's glad their family car/boat hauler is in good hands. I have copies of her folks' obituaries in my records as they speak volumes of what neat people (Greatest Generation /WWII vets) they were. James's original owner cigarette butt still rides around in the ash tray!
     
  19. weim55

    weim55 Well-Known Member

    This thread prompted me to look up the original owner of my GS455. Sure enough, still at the same address I made the purchase 39 years ago (?!). I’ll write a letter and see where it goes, be great if she has any pics stories etc.
    Thanks for the idea!

    Steve weim55 Colorado
     
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  20. bill lagna

    bill lagna Well-Known Member

    My 70 GSX was a "Dealer Demo " at Davis Buick in Dayton Ohio .
    One of the son's emailed me and said that when his brother returned
    from Vietnam , he used the GSX as his car and it was marked as a
    dealer demo .
    I'm not sure of the history of the "X" until I bought it from Rick
    Patterson in North Vernon Indiana in May of 1986 .
    Rick found the car on the back row of a used car lot in Ohio
    with a green front fender and a blown engine !!
    Its in a little better shape now LOL .
    Bill
     

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